The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1887-08-28
The Recent Trip Of Univer sity
Professors.
THE DETROIT G1NING DISTRICT
The Trilebite Mountains-The Topaz
Field-Hunting for the Brilliants-
A Novel Experience.

plated trip into the desert. line I'M
portant places We visited are the Sewer
Lake, the Trilobite.. Mountain, thirty.fve
miles west of Deseret, the Detroit Mining
District, and the Topaz Mountain. In
travelling over the desert we twice
crossed at different places the old river
channel through which. the water of the
Sewer Lake was, at one time, carried
into Great Salt Lake. This old channel
reminded us of the ancient Lake Bon
neville, whose waters so well left evil
dence on the mountain sides of its
existence, and also carried US back to
time, after the waters of the lake sub.
sided, when the SeYier and Great Salt
Lake basins were occupied with separate
bodies of water connected by river
forty or fifty miles long. The Sewer
Lake, although pronounced by many
as the sink hole of the Sewer River
water, is, would conclude from the
facts gathered, an extensive shallow
basin from which the water running
into it, instead of sinking, easily
evaporates Not much more, however,
than one-han of its bed is covered with
water this year, and it is questionable as
to whether the water of the lake is now
accessible. From elevated points from
tensive salty mud fats could be
distinctly seen bordering the water
on the north and south sides. The
season being extremely dry is one
reason the lake is so low, while another
reason is, the people of Deseret have
taken out all of the water Of the Sewer
River, the only source of constant sup
ply the lake has, for irrigating pur-
poses.
Before this year dams have been
built in the river. but none strong
enough to resist the action of the
water. Now that the people have sue
ceeded in taking the water out, by
going ten miles up the river, without
dam, it is probable that SEWER Lake
will become extinct before many years
elapse.
We followed the edge of the salty
mud fat on the north side of the lake
for some distance. but could see no
water anywhere until We had reached
quite an elevation above the lake. We
concluded, therefore, that to get to the
; edge of the water, if such thing were
possible, it would be necessary to travel
ten miles further, and to do this our
water supply would not permit, so We
had to abandon our intention of getting
samples of the lake water, and directed
our course, under the guidance of Mr..
Black, toward the Trilobite Mountain.
Mr.. Black, who is an old resident of
Deseret, felt assured that the lake had
entirely dried up, and claimed, even
after we had quite distinctly seen the
hot vi ot ho yUatpr
: was only mirage.
After reiching the Trilobite Noun
, tain, Mr.. Black and myself assembled
: q high point, from where we could
, without the least doubt, see the water,
and distinctly distinguish it from the
D surrounding mud flats, when be frankly
admitted that the lake was still in ex-
istence.
: In passing around the south end Of
o what two years ago was a portion OF
the lake, and also in crossing the
4 desert, the clear crystal water-llke
mirage frequently met our view, and
we were in some cases left at doubt as
to whether we had seen mirage Or 8
e body of water; so that one could easily
. mistake a mirage for body of water OF
= a body of water for mirage.
y The Trilobite Mountain Rarge, thirty
- five miles west of DeseIet, is rugged
y greatly weather-worn, and extreme ly
ancient in appearance. 1t consists
chiefly of limestone and slate, here anC
there intersected with yellow and per.
: fectly crystaliized calcite. In this range
are situated the Antelope springs, whose
water is of good quality and sparklei
II invitingly to the thirsty traveller. The!
, are on the road between Deseret anC
:, Osceola, and are very important t.
: freighters between these two places.
y One half q mile east of the mail
IS spring are some low slaty hills wher'
:. trilobites abound. These fossils o.
is petrifed animals are found scattered
: loosely about the hills, and also i'm
n Of these fossils we procured some yer.
K fine specimens, being able to Obtain
e many entirely free from the rock, a
,e well as pieces of slate containing then
= and their Impressions.
.e Detroit Mining District is In the ives
end of a range of mountains running
8, nearly east and west thirty-fve mile
W northwest of Deseret. At present thi
b mining camp is dead. There are. how
]. ever, some very good prospects and ont
10 or two good mines here. One mine
1t situated in Q quartzite ledge, can pro
le duce plenty of ore that carries 500 K
l. $SU IN gOlQ per Lou, Us VIGIL 10 oohn
lel silver. This property is owned by Nj
Of Craft who, about two years ago, pur
ID chased a stamp mill and set it up nea
the Swansea Springs, ten mile
southwest of the mine, with uh
Ig intention of working up the or
4. from his gold mine. For some I'm
he known reason, he was unable t.
o. do anything with the mill, entirely fail
D. ing to extract the gold from the ore
The ore is certainly milling ore, and
appears to be suitable for successful
treatment.
Two prospects, the Juno and Alto
both mostly owned by Mr.. ]. s. Black
III yielded five tons of ore which nette
le him $500 after sending the ore all tn
he way to Swansea, Wales.
. There is other good property In tn
If camp, and some day Detroit District
10 destined to produce considerable wealth
At short distance northwest from To
~ majority of prospects and mines al
az some springs included in the district 8
: the foot of a granite and trachyte peal
q which supply water to the camp, an
10 are indeed great source OF comfort
the thirsty topaz searcher.
The topaz field is eight or ten mile
northwest of these springs, in To
vicinitv of tha solth end of q light-Rra